Envelope



R. MENDEZ ENVELOPE Filed July 24, i940 JNVENTOR.

Patented Dec. 7, 1943 UNITED sTATEsfPATENT OFFICE ENVELoPE Raymond Mendez, New York, N. Y. Application Jalyv24, 1940, serial No. 347,210

1 claim.

My invention has for its object, the provision in envelopes as an integral part thereof of a simple readily accessible means of opening the same,

-without recourse to extraneous aids such as let- -ter openers, whereby the envelope may be opened .lector who may value the same, or be available for such other uses as may be found. l. A further object is to provide a novel relation, position and correlation of envelope parts, adaptable to the many uses, achieving thereby the advantages hereinabove enumerated.

Another object is to provide envelopes, having the advantages above, without substantially increasing the cost of manufacture of envelopes as presently made in the art.

My invention also has for its object such othery advantages as hereinafter are made to appear. f

l To fully explain my invention, I shall briefly refer to the disadvantages and difculties encounv tered in the use of ordinary envelopes.

It is customary in the opening of envelopes for one to use as a means of opening the same, a thin blade instrument or other device, commonly known as a letter opener. In the use of this or other instrument, the envelope is mutilated and at times the contents as Well. In its use, the opener sometimes cuts or mutilates the contents, causing damage to enclosed documents. If such instrument is not readily available, the envelope is customarily torn open by hand, and at times, thecontents also are torn. It is not unusual in the tearing for one to suler a paper cut Wound. f Frequently, a letter or magazine may be received while at Work, or in the field, or at other points away from home, Where an opener is not generally available, and therefore, there is a denite need in the art for a simple, inexpensive means of opening an envelope, integral with the envelope itself and readily available, so that it may readily be opened, without disguration of the envelope or damage to contents.

For the philatelist or other collector, a torn envelope is a loss of value, since the collector de- The prior art has been characterized by complicated means to ll the existing need, substan- -tially increasing the cost, and making involved the steps of manufacture, and in the ordinary type vof mailing envelopes, particularly envelopes for -magazines characterizing the greatest volume of transmitted mail, the art although old, is noticeably lacking altogether in an adequate solution of this need. Particularly, in the provision of a simple method of avoiding the shredding, stripping and tearing of envelopes, is the art lacking. I have discovered a, novel position and relation `of parts, whereby all of the disadvantages encountered in the use of envelopes are avoided.

My invention resides in providing parts in such positions and relation that the pulling tab which opens the improved envelope cannot attach itself to the contents, or continue to engage in a vtearing action the main body of the envelope,

other than the sealing portions of the same.' The of the sealing areas shall be closely proximate rto raised abrupt edges, parallel to the said bound` ary lines, so that the short strips, or shreds of envelope torn by opening must abruptly end, without opportunity to attach themselves to the main body of the envelope.

Essentially, the object of my invention is obtained by providing an envelope body having a sealing flap, and an opening tab, in which the surface area of the sealing nap, holding a narrow band of sealing adhesive, and the corresponding surface area to which the sealing ap adheres on sealing of the envelope, furnish the only tearing surfaces on opening; the advantageous result being brought about by the proximity of the inner longitudinal boundary lines of the respective surfaces to abrupt raised edges, raised away from the main body of the envelope so as to prevent ade hesion to and ripping of the same.,v The sealing flap is made of greater thickness than the main envelope body for the purpose-of strengthening the same so it may serve as an opening tab; and for the further purpose of providing one of the raised edges essential to `the invention. .'The main portion of the envelope body or a part ladded thereto is made to furnish the'other: raised edge. Thus, the area ofadhesion, upon'sealing, furnished by the envelope body, as well as that furnished by the sealing flap, each end at abrupt raised edges preventing engagement of these portions beyond these edges with the balance of the envelope body, so that upon opening, there is no tendency to rip or tear any portion of the en- `3l of the double thick portion A.

Fig. 3 is an elevated View of the front of `an envelope blank with sealing flap closed, .showing the tab available for opening.

Fig. 4 is an elevated cross section along line i ll of Fig. 3 Viewed in the direction of the arrow as indicated.

Similar numerals refer to similar throughout the several views.

Referring more particularly `to the drawing, Figure 1 represents an elevated view of the front of an envelope blank. The blank has a front portion 23, a back portion 33, two side flaps 3|, 3 I, and a sealing ap 32. The side flaps are provided with areas of adhesive material, as is customary in the art. The sealing flap comprises two portions designated A and B. A is of double thickness, produced by folding the end of the envelope blank upon itself and permanently Vaiiixing the two thicknesses together by suitable adhesive. The double thickness may parts also be produced by other means, as for ex;

ample, by the use of a narrow paper strippre erably `of the same type of paper as the envelope blank, the strip being superimposed upon the end of the flap 32 and permanently aflixed thereto by suitable adhesive, so as to produ-ce Vafdouble thick end. A narrow area of adhesive material 311, is applied to the sealing flap as indicated in Fig. 1. The double thickness, Vserves the .pur-

pose of providing the abrupt edge at which tearing ends, ,also to .provide a reinforced 'opening tab.

In'Fig. 2, the back vportion `39 of the envelope blank has been brought up Iinto position .to iform -the envelope pocket, and the side flaps A3-|,f-3l,

folded to seal said pocket at vits sides. A narrow area of adhesive material 34 is applied 'to the sealing flap, 32. lts lower boundary line,a35, is preferably proximate to and slightly aboveyedge Its 'upper boundary line is shown as 36.

The area of adhesive, 34, is so placed yandthe boundary line, l35, is so positioned that upon sealing of the envelope, area 34 -will correspond with the area 38 of the back portion 30, fand will be superimposed thereupon, with line `35 coinciding with line 39 as shown Vin Fig. 2 and by the dotted lines in Fig. 3. The upper boundary 330i area 38 is proximate to but slightly lbelow the upper edge 40 `of back portion 30, so 'as' to avoid adherence by the adhesive to the front portion 29. The result is that the sealing flap 32is sealed to end portion 3B, along Athe varea38 by .adhesive area 34, leaving the `portion fA of sealing flap 32 free and loose and available Portion as an opening tab to easily open the envelope, and the resulting relation and position of parts presents abrupt edges, 40 and 31, at which envelope tearing must end and the shredding and tearing of the envelope and contents avoided. Fig. 3 shows this result and the opening tab raised in position for opening the envelope. In Fig. 4, a cross section along line 4-4 in Fig. 3, Viewed in the direction of the arrow, the position and relation of parts is shown.

The'provision and positioning of the area of adhesive 34 so that its lower boundary line 35 corresponds upon sealing approximately with the upper boundary line 39 of area 38, together with back portion 3D and its abrupt edge 4U, and tabl A with its abrupt edge 31, resulting from the double thickness at this point, furnishes a correlation vof 'the envelope elements, as permits the opening of the envelope with ease, quickly and without access to extraneous means and without substantially disguring, tearing, shredding vor strippi-ng of envelope parts. This result's from the Afact that the adhesive Ais conned by this means to designated narrow portions aand is prevented from a'ixing itself to the main portion of the wrapper lor envelope beyond Idesignated areas. A pulling `on the tab severs `the sealed areas, and these in leach instance ending abruptly, area, 33 proximate to -edge-4 rof portion v3l] and area :34 proximate \tovedge-3'1:of ap A, vprevents the ypossibility of the tab pulling shreds and strips `of envelope after ;it of .either section Bof sealing flap 32,'or parts fof ythe :front portion 2-9, :or `back portion Vv30. A relatively clean severance of; parts lis the result.

I have lmade reference to the use Aof :adhesive The type of adhesive tobe used is wellknownfto the art. The adhesives `usedzin the zart are made .of vdextrin gum. Fish glues, various 'vegetable glues, and other adhesives `may :also fbeused, these being wellknown in the-art.

Various changes in the form, .proportionand -the details of :construction may be resorted to Without vdep aring from the :principle orsacricing any of the advantages ofthis invention. Although I have ldescribed .myiinvention with a certain degree of particularity, it i-is `lunlderstood `that the present `disclosure :has Abeen made `only -by way :of example.

Having thus .described amy linvention, Icla'im: An envelope :to serve :as a container for letters and .other objects, having an enclosingbody por- '-.tion :and .fa sealing `flap integral therewith along :a folded .l'me to seal said envelope; the Aback of isa'idjibody `portion terminating at its end man :'abruptedge 'parallel to and adjacent saidifold line, said -sealingflap being inwardly folded-'upon itself `with its inner free abrupt fedge, in operaitive position, .substantial-ly coincidingwith #the .first named abrupt edge, .and -adhesivefmeans Iupon a substantial portion-of fthe area of said .flapand in spaced relation to the folded Aedge `of the sealing-flap, leaving the end of said Lflap freefof adhesive to provide .an-'opening tab; lsaid adhesive means `:being disposed l'als to `be `confined within said abrupt edges upon sealing saidenvelope.

4`RAYMOND'flVHilllDEZ. 

